After the war ended in 1945, the German economy was in ruins. Cities, infrastructure, and industry had been largely destroyed. With the reconstruction and the so-called ‘economic miracle’ of the 1950s, the demand for labour grew rapidly.

To solve this problem, the Federal Republic of Germany concluded so-called recruitment agreements with other countries. From 1955 onwards, European migrant workers first came to the Federal Republic from Italy and then from Spain and Greece. At that time, it was customary to refer to them as ‘guest workers’, as they were expected to leave Germany again.

Starting in 1961, many such workers came from Turkey, which was going through a period of economic and political turmoil following a military coup. Germany promised higher wages and a secure life. Most migrant workers were drawn to industrial regions such as Baden-Württemberg and to cities like Constance.